1. Why has SPP changed the name of the one-year masters degree program to the Master of Public Affairs?
As part of the ongoing growth and development of the School of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst we have updated the name of our one-year and “4+1” masters degree program options. We now offer the Master of Public Affairs as our one-year and 4+1 programs. (The previous program name was the Master of Public Policy.) We undertook this name change to assure consistency with evolving accreditation standards in our field. The Master of Public Affairs is the standard name for one-year masters programs like ours among competitive schools in the United States and internationally.
During the 2021-22 academic year we formally proposed to change the name of our Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree to a Master of Public Affairs (MPA). The Faculty Senate approved the name change on April 28, 2022 and then forwarded its decision to the Office of the President of the university and the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. We received the final approval this summer.
2. Have the requirements for the one-year masters degree program changed?
The curriculum for the Master of Public Affairs remains essentially the same with two small but important revisions. First, we added a management course elective requirement. It brings our program into line with other schools in the United States and internationally. The new requirement allows students to choose from among management course options. Second, we expanded the options for fulfilling the experiential requirement for the degree. Students now have several options for experiential learning, including an internship, a client-based project in either the capstone or workshop course, or another pre-approved course that includes an experiential component.
3. Are current students who were accepted into the Master of Public Policy program able to change the name of their degree?
Current students who were accepted into the Master of Public Policy program have the option to change their degree name to the Master of Public Affairs or to keep the Master of Public Policy degree name. Those who apply to our one-year and 4+1 masters degree programs after September 1, 2022 will apply for acceptance into the Master of Public Affairs degree program.
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We’ve updated the name of our one-year masters degree programs, but our longstanding commitment to our students, our engaged faculty and our strong, supportive community remain constant.
